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Wisconsin Senate, District 2/Senado Estatal de Wisconsin, Distrito 2

Wisconsin Legislative BranchWisconsin’s legislature makes state laws. The legislature has two houses: the Wisconsin Senate and the Wisconsin Assembly. Proposed laws (bills) can originate from either the state senate or assembly. Both houses must approve the bill before it is passed on to the governor for signature or veto. The legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote in each house. The legislature controls the spending of state funds through appropriation.Wisconsin SenateThe Wisconsin Senate has thirty-three senators. Voters elect state senators to represent their senate district for a four-year term. Each senate district includes three assembly districts. There is no term limit.__________Poder Legislativo de Wisconsin La legislatura de Wisconsin produce las leyes estatales. La legislatura consta de dos cámaras: el Senado de Wisconsin y la Asamblea de Wisconsin. Las propuestas de ley pueden originarse tanto en el Senado estatal como en la Asamblea. Ambas cámaras deben aprobar el proyecto de ley antes de transmitirla al gobernador para su firma o veto. La legislatura puede anular un veto con un voto mayoritario de dos tercios en cada cámara. La legislatura controla el gasto de los fondos estatales a través de las leyes de asignación. Senado de WisconsinEl senado de Wisconsin consta de treinta y tres senadores. Los votantes eligen senadores estatales para representar a su distrito senatorial por un período de cuatro años. Cada distrito senatorial incluye tres asambleas de distrito. No hay límite de término.Nota: Las respuestas de los candidatos que aparecen en español se tradujeron de las respuestas originales de los candidatos en inglés.

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  • Candidate picture

    Kelly Elizabeth Peterson
    (Dem)

  • Candidate picture

    Eric Wimberger
    (Rep)

Biographical Information

Please describe your priorities for your term in office and your specific qualifications to effectively address those issues.

What do you see as the most pressing housing-related issue in Wisconsin, and what policies, if any, would you support to address the issue?

What, if anything, will you do to ensure equitable access to health care services, including reproductive health care (i.e. contraception, IVF and abortion) for Wisconsinites?

What, if anything, will you do to ensure our schools have the resources to improve outcomes for its students, including those with disabilities?

What redistricting process, if any, do you believe the legislature should put in place before the next national census to ensure fair representation for voters?

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Campaign Phone # 9202170911
Campaign Email kelly@kellypetersonforwisconsin.com
Campaign Phone 9202170911
Campaign Mailing Address PO Box 5371
De Pere, WI 54115
Website http://www.kellypetersonforwisconsin.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557301476140
Campaign Twitter Handle @kellypforwi
Instagram http://www.instagram.com/kellypetersonforwisconsin
Education Academy of Art University, San Francisco M.A. California State University, Sacramento B.A. USC -Fellowship on health Reporting: Annenberg School For Communication and Journalism
Personal Pronouns She, Her
My priorities for office are addressing the issues that impact us all, both Democrat and Republican. These include ensuring women's reproductive rights are protected, not taken away; our soil and water are tested for PFAS and cleanup is paid for by the polluters, not the taxpayers; that public education is funded, not cut and politicized; and that working families have access to affordable childcare, and are not forced to choose between working and caring for their children. These are basic necessities and they continue to go unaddressed in the state legislature. I’m a veteran journalist of over 30 years. I’ve seen behind the scenes how these issues impact women and men across the country and right here in Wisconsin. I’ve won four Emmys and multiple awards for political reporting. I’ve never had a goal of entering politics, but we need representatives that listen to their constituents and address the issues that impact them. The people of Wisconsin are frustrated and I’m one of them.
Lack of affordable housing is the most pressing housing-related issue. Not only is housing a basic necessity, but the lack of affordable housing is a huge drag on our state’s economy. Employers are in dire need of workers and working families can’t find housing where the jobs are located. This disconnect has been growing for years and will continue to get worse if it’s not addressed. We have a lot of aging housing that needs updating before it will be suitable for families to live in and commercial property that could be converted to residential. Fully funding Gov. Evers Workforce Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program in tandem with expanding WHEDA loans would be a good place to start. It would help working families, employers, and reduce the drag on the state’s economy.
As I stated earlier, reproductive rights are a top issue for me. If elected, I will vote to ensure Wisconsin women have safe and legal access to contraception, IVF, and abortion. Additionally, I will vote to accept the Federal Funds to expand Medicaid which will increase access to healthcare services for Wisconsinites. Wisconsin is one of 10 states that is refusing to accept these Federal Funds and it has cost Wisconsin taxpayers over 2 billion dollars so far. Not only does this prevent access to health care services for Wisconsinites, it's fiscally irresponsible.
Two of the most critical challenges Wisconsin public schools continue to face are special education and mental health. Wisconsin ranks last in the nation in special education. Last! We simply do not have enough special education teachers and the ones we do have are leaving for states with more competitive compensation. Wisconsin is also facing a staff shortage of mental health professionals. One in five school-aged children faces mental health challenges, yet the staff needed to address this is well below the recommended level. On top of these challenges, a sizable percentage of educational tax dollars is being used as vouchers for private schools that have neither transparency nor accountability to the taxpayers. These challenges could largely be addressed by ensuring there is a consistent inflationary adjustment per pupil, repealing Act 10, and making sure private schools that accept vouchers operate with transparency and accountability to the taxpayers who fund them.
For more than a decade, Wisconsin was one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the nation. It was so heavily gerrymandered that it was often referred to as ‘Swiss cheese’, with some constituents in areas completely detached from the rest of their districts. This type of gerrymandering is intentional and it disenfranchises voter voices. Fortunately, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court has ruled these maps unconstitutional and, earlier this year, Gov. Evers signed into law new, fair maps that will help ensure fair representation for Wisconsin voters.
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